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ATTLEBORO - Some day soon Dodgeville Mill will be generating some of its own electricity and cutting back on greenhouse emission through the use of hydroelectric power.

The owner of the mill has been awarded a $196,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to build a hydroelectric system at the plant off South Main Street.

An earlier grant of $38,000 funded a feasibility study that showed there was enough water flow from Ten Mile River and a dam to generate 56 kilowatts of power, said Chad Cox, the consultant engineer for the project.

Cox, of GZA Geoenvironmental, said the amount of power to be generated is relatively modest. It could power 560 light bulbs of 100 watts each.

However, it will also save the atmosphere 362,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year that would have been produced by fossil fuels. "It's renewable energy and its generated in an environmental manner," he said.

The mill is almost 200 years old and owner Gary Demers has previously said that during the building's hey day a dam was built on the Ten Mile River to create the Dodgeville Pond.

Water from the pond was used to move turbines under the building to create power.

Cox said "pen stocks" from the old system still exist under the building, but new piping may be used to carry water from the dam to the mill.

He said the project is a relatively small one because the water flow is not great enough to generate more power.

"We're not talking about a huge amount of power here," he said.

The mill contains more than 10 companies, including Demers Brothers Trucking.

The Massachusetts Technology Collabortive has been funding a number of renewable energy projects throughout the state, including a wind mill project at Mount St. Mary Abbey in Wrentham.

JIM HAND can be reached at 508-236-0399 or at jhand@thesunchronicle.com.